Hernangomez signs first contract since being cut loose by Raptors: report

Nearly five months after the Toronto Raptors cut him loose, Juancho Hernangomez appears to have found a new home to play basketball.

After seven years in the NBA, Hernangomez is reportedly in the closing stages of signing a deal with the Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos, as reported by multiple sources, including Eurohoops.

Though he was a middle-of-the-rotation player for Toronto, Hernangomez received notoriety around the NBA for his leading role alongside Adam Sandler as Spanish NBA prospect Bo Cruz in the 2022 Netflix original movie Hustle.

Hernangomez averaged 2.9 rebounds, 2.9 points and 0.6 assists in 42 games for the Raptors last season. He played an average of 14.6 minutes per game in the 2022-23 season, putting him 11th in the team’s rotation by average floor time per game.

The move to waive Hernangomez back in February came from a logjam of Toronto forwards, with the front office opting to sign Will Barton last season shortly after getting rid of the Spanish national team member.

In his time in the NBA, Hernangomez has played seven seasons for six teams, including the Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, and San Antonio Spurs, spending four seasons in Denver with all of his other stops being two seasons or less.

He has averaged five points and 3.3 rebounds in 339 regular-season games.

While the expected move to Greece might be seen as a stepback for Hernangomez, it’s a chance for him to likely have a much larger offensive role than he had during any of his stops in the NBA. Hernangomez’s older brother Willy also made the move to Europe this summer, signing with FC Barcelona after seven seasons in the NBA.

A veteran of the international game, including a title at the 2022 Eurobasket with Spain, Hernangomez has a chance to become one of the biggest stars in Europe, should his on-court performance line up with his off-court persona.

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